A structured interview is a little different than a typical job interview. In contrast to the free interview, all applicants are asked the same questions that are closely related to the advertised position. The clearly structured process and the questions defined in advance are intended to make the candidates more comparable. This has advantages for you: Applicants can prepare well for it. We’ll show you how to master the structured interview and what you need to know about the process and the questionnaire.
What is a structured interview?
If the job interview takes place as a structured interview, it follows a fixed choreography and a catalog of questions drawn up beforehand. This is what distinguishes the “structured interview” from the “free interview”, in which HR managers tend to ask spontaneous questions.
Not so in the structured interview: For personnel selection, personnel (or service providers) develop targeted questions that exactly match the job profile. In the interview, crucial qualifications, skills, and experience of the applicants are queried. The aim is to compare candidates better and according to criteria that are as objective as possible.
Structured interviews do not only exist in the application process. It is also used in psychology and medicine. Scientists there use it to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease or sleep disorders.
Process of the structured-interview
Structured interviews usually have a duration of 45 to 60 minutes. For highly qualified specialists and management positions, it can also take up to two hours. The structured interview hardly differs in the process from a free interview. The main difference lies in the preparation and the questionnaire. The structured interview also follows the typical five phases:
Small talk
The small talk is the introduction to the structured interview. Usually, a brief introduction of the interviewer follows after a brief greeting. Afterward, there is a chat (“How was the journey?” “Did you find your way here?”) And drinks are offered (always accept!). Finally, there is a brief overview of the planned course of the conversation along with an outlook on the duration.
Get to know
As a rule, the host – i.e. the company – introduces itself first. The HR manager explains details about the advertised position and provides important information about what to expect from future employees. This is the time for applicants to listen carefully, if necessary to take notes, and to write down possible queries.
Self-presentation
Even in the structured interview, those present now expect a compact self-presentation of the candidate. Often started with the request: “Tell us something about yourself!” The phase can, however, also be controlled with the help of the questionnaire. Then HR managers ask questions about the motivation of the candidate:
- “Why did you apply for this position?”
- “Why do you want this job?”
- “Why should we hire you?”
Depending on the position and form of the structured interview, the interviewer also asks biographical questions as well as questions about professional skills, working methods, or social behavior in previous conflict situations. In the case of a manager, the leadership style is also questioned: How does the applicant make decisions? Is he able to delegate or formulate target agreements?
Questions
In the end, the candidate has the opportunity to ask questions. Please always provide this! You show interest and that you followed the explanations carefully. The more detailed your questions, the better. Questions about vacation, leisure time, or payment are (not yet) taboo. It is all the more important that the questions in the structured interview are asked in a structured manner about the job:
- “Why is the position vacant?”
- “What do you expect from the ideal candidate?”
- “What challenges await me in the first 90 days?”
- “How do you measure success in this position?”
Graduation
Please never underestimate the final phase. It shapes the last impression – and it resonates. Before you say goodbye, ask about the next steps: How will the selection process continue? When can a decision be expected? Who can you stay in contact with (email!)? Maintain professionalism and body tension until you have said goodbye and are out of sight.
Questions in the structured-interview
How the catalog of questions looks in the structured interview is determined by the HR manager individually and depending on the position to be filled. However, some typical areas and questions are particularly common. These are important for all applicants – regardless of industry and profession:
Questions about the ability to work in a team
- “What is your role in a team?”
- “Do you prefer to work alone or together?”
- “How do you fit into a group?”
- “Would you describe yourself as a team player?”
Questions about motivation
- “Why did you apply to us exactly?”
- “What is your biggest motivation?”
- “Why should we hire you?”
- “What do you want to achieve in our company?”
Questions about resilience
- “How well do you deal with stress?”
- “Have you failed before?”
- “How have you dealt with stress in the past?”
- “What is your attitude towards overtime?”
Questions about creativity
- “What do you do if you don’t have a solution to a problem?”
- “Are you creative in your work?”
- “When do you use creative approaches?”
- “How creative are you?”
Questions about personality
- “How do you describe yourself in three words?”
- “What is your most important character trait?”
- “At which point in your personality do you want to work?”
- “What do your friends say about you?”
Types of structured-interviews
The structured interview – also called “standardized interview” – has different focuses depending on the area of application. In addition to selection processes such as the assessment center, the structured interview offers another way of increasing the comparability of candidates. There are different types of structured interviews with different focuses. Which type a recruiter chooses is often a question of personal preference.
Behavior Description Interview (BDI)
This type of structured interview is biographically oriented. The HR manager asks about specific situations in the professional past to evaluate the applicant’s behavior. Often it is about difficult situations, problems, or conflicts that the candidate had to deal with. This completely avoids applicants merely reciting textbook knowledge. It also reduces the risk of prepackaged answers. Instead, the previous behavior can be compared with the requirement profile.
Situational interview (SI)
In a situational interview, the HR manager gives the applicant a fictitious situation and asks how he or she proceeds. Structured interview at SI means that all applicants are asked the same questions in the same situations. Often cases are constructed for this which are directly related to the later position and the area of responsibility. For applicants, this is also an opportunity to indirectly find out something about the later job and its challenges.
Biographical interview (BI)
Here, the applicant’s biography in the résumé is examined even more thoroughly. HR professionals need a lot of experience to identify the key milestones in the candidate’s career from the documents and the course of the interview. The questions in this structured interview are similar to the BDI mentioned above. They question and deepen the applicant’s biography.
Multimodal Interview (MMI)
This type of structured interview is a combination of the applicant’s biography, simulation, and property-based diagnosis. The MMI is divided into eight phases. Three phases are part of the natural course of a conversation. They serve as information for the applicant. The remaining five phases help the interviewer with the overall assessment.
- Start of conversation (without evaluation)
- Self-presentation (with evaluation)
- Free conversation part (with evaluation)
- Career orientation and choice of organization (with evaluation)
- Biographical data (with assessment)
- Information about the activity (without evaluation)
- Situational questions (with evaluation)
- Conclusion of the interview (without evaluation)
Stress-questions in structured interview
With so-called stress questions, HR managers want to find out how the candidate reacts under pressure. Managers, above all, have to be able to deal with stress. Therefore, HR professionals particularly like to use this type of question for them. Some of these can actually be inadmissible questions (“Do you have debts?”). More likely, however, are questions that are intended to get you into a mess. For example:
- “What’s the worst quality others say of you?”
- “What question would you not like to be asked?”
- “How am I doing in your eyes as an interviewer?”
In all cases: keep calm! In any case, your answer should signal sovereignty and a high level of self-motivation. There is no right answer to guesswork. A logical and systematic approach counts for this.
When is the structured interview used?
A structured interview can be used for the selection of personnel in any job – regardless of whether it is a top manager, civil servant, trainee, or university graduate. However, employers carefully consider whether the additional effort for a structured interview is worthwhile. Rule of thumb:
- Structured interviews for higher hierarchical levels, for more complex positions, and senior positions with many years of experience.
- Situational interview when filling entry-level positions.
The structured interview can be carried out by the future employer or by contracted service providers who offer specially developed diagnostic procedures.
How can I prepare for it?
Depending on the position you are applying for, the likelihood of a structured interview increases. You can and should prepare for this too. The possible interview types and typical questions are the first steps. In addition, we have these tips:
- Research company data
Get an overview: How big is the company? Do you have branches in Germany and abroad? What products are there? What about competitors and the current market position? What does the company stand for? You can often find important information on the company’s own website. - Internalize strengths
Analyze the job profile: Which mandatory and optional requirements are expected of you? Find out which competencies the position requires and make a list of your suitable strengths. - Find examples
HR professionals can best convince you with concrete examples. For the structured interview, think about comparable situations that illustrate your skills and abilities. To prepare, you can use the so-called STAR method:- Situation (Situation): What was your starting point?
- Task: What was your task in this situation?
- Action: What did you say or do?
- Result: What were the consequences of your actions?
Ideally, your examples demonstrate how you have solved problems or achieved successes in the past. Even if you have failed, you must show that and what you have learned from it.
Advantages and disadvantages of structured interviews
A structured interview can avoid wrong appointments in the selection process. However, the effort is also comparatively high and expensive. Therefore, when making a decision, HR managers should weigh up the most important advantages and disadvantages of a structured interview.
Advantages
- High objectivity
A catalog of questions and clear criteria for the answers facilitate a neutral assessment of the candidates based on the defined profile. - More fairness
The HR manager’s subjective impressions have less influence on the judgment. Just like attractiveness, similarities, gender, or origin. - Better fit
All applicants will be assessed based on their answers to the same questions. That improves the selection.
Disadvantages
- No conversation
Due to the exact guidelines, no spontaneous dialogue develops. Some structured interviews resemble an interrogation. - Less flexibility
Little or no mention is made of individual aspects of the selection or personal experience of the candidate. The specifications do not allow that. - No chemistry
Sympathy or antipathy are faded out. However, when assessing candidates, experienced HR managers often have a good sense of who fits into the team.